A pair of rookies will lead the U.S. Davis Cup team's quest to return ot the World Group.
Steve Johnson and Jack Sock make their Davis Cup debuts with a trip to the World Group on the line.
U.S. captain Jim Courier named the rookies as the singles starters for the American squad that will face host Uzbekistan on the red clay of Tashkent in the World Group Playoffs.
Video: British Davis Cup Team Hits Bar
Johnson will serve double duty. The 47th-ranked American faces Denis Istomin in Friday's opening singles.
Sock, who won his maiden ATP title on the red clay of Houston in April, takes on 158th-ranked Farrukh Dustov in the second singles. The 62nd-ranked Istomin has not faced Johnson or Sock in an ATP match; Istomin posted a 7-6 record on red clay this season.
"Jack Sock and Steve Johnson will be making their Davis Cup debuts and they are excited about it as you can understand," Courier told Davis Cup.com. "I think this a good environment for them, easy to focus here in Tashkent.
"Our team is quite isolated here. Sometimes playing on the road can be helpful in that respect with less distractions. There are very few distractions here. The guys have had a good week of preparation. They are definitely ready to go. They are comfortable on this surface. We are going to put balls in the air and see what happens."
Sam Querrey and Johnson, who reached the US Open doubles semifinal last week, will play Istomin and Dustov in Saturday's doubles.
In the opening reverse singles, Istomin will play Sock. Dustov is schedule to face Johnson in the final match of the best-of-five match tie on Sunday.
Donald Young wasn't named to the starting lineup, but pulled off this airborne passing shot dazzler in practice. Watch DY operate on the ad side of the far end of the court.
Photo credit: DwiAri Setyadi/Davis Cup